favourite canoes, cannot be less than fourteen
miles.
W e camped, according to Magassa’s wish,
behind Soweh Island, on the east side o f Murchison
Bay, whence, the next day, we were to
start for Usavara, the Kabaka's hunting village.
CH A P TER IX.
An extraordinary monarch— I am examined— African “ chaff’
— Mtesa, Emperor of Uganda— Description of Mtesa— A
naval review— Arrival at the imperial capital— Mtesa’s palace—
Fascination of the country— I meet a white man—
Col. Linant de Bellefonds—The process of conversion— A
grand mission field— A pleasant day with Col. de Bellefonds—
Starting for my camp.
(A pril 5— i 7> i 875-)
T h e little insight w e obtained into the manners
o f Uganda between Soweh Island, Murchison
Bay, and Kiwa Island, near Ukafu Bay, impressed
us with the consciousness that we were about
to become acquainted with an extraordinary
monarch and an extraordinary people* as different
from the barbarous pirates o f Uvuma, and
the wild, mop-headed men o f Eastern Usukuma,
as the British in India are from their Afridi fel-
low-subjects, or the white Americans o f Arkansas
from the semi-civilized Choctaws. If politeness
could so govern the actions o f the men o f Kiwa
Island, far removed as th ey were from contact
with the Uganda court, and suave duplicity could
so well be practised b y the Mtongoleh o f Ukafu,
and such ready, ungrudging hospitality be shown
THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT. VOL. I. R